If artist Touko Laaksonen – better known as Tom of Finland – accomplished anything, it was in giving gay men a vision of themselves as strong, fearless, virile men. Although he died in 1991, his art work is, arguably, even more popular today than when he was alive and he continues to inspire and excite men even now.
Join Leathermen's Discussion group for a special event: our Tom of Finland art auction and cocktail party. With the help of Tom of Finland Foundation's Durk Dehner, we'll be auctioning off pieces of work not only by Tom of Finland himself, but other Foundation artists, as well as local erotic artists.
The evening's activities include a silent auction, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and an interview with Dehner himself. Spice up your art collection, enjoy drinks with good company, and help support LDG.
Make your purchase using credit cards, Paypal, cash, or checks.
Durk Dehner has been at the helm of Tom of Finland's presence since 1979, and now serves as president of Tom of Finland Foundation, which he co-founded with Tom in 1984.
As Tom had established worldwide recognition as the master of homo-erotic art, the Foundation's original purpose was to preserve his vast catalog of work. Several years later the scope was widened to offer a safe haven for all erotic art in response to rampant discrimination against art that portrayed sexual behavior or generated a sexual response. Today the Foundation continues in its efforts of educating the public as to the cultural merits of erotic art and in promoting healthier, more tolerant attitudes about sexuality.
One of the primary goals of the Foundation is to promote Tom's work along with other erotic art so that it receives the academic attention it deserves. From a critical perspective, thanks in part to the sustained commitment of the Foundation, Tom's art is now beginning to receive the acknowledgment it merits.
Dehner himself, a self-decribed “hell-raiser,” has enjoyed a long career in porn as both a director and a model, appearing in Drummer and posing for iconic photographer Bruce Weber, as well as Target Studios. He is a father, a grandfather, and a mentor to young men “in a strict form with consequences.”
Dehner “enjoys guys who cannot control their fetishes; boots, gear… never enough.”
